UN Study: Ship Emission Accounts For 4.5 Percent Of C02 Discharge

February 13, 2008 10:27 a.m. EST

London, England (AHN) - Greenhouse gases has been largely blamed on land and air transportation as more travelers opt for faster means to move around the globe. Often set aside is the maritime industry, which a United Nations study said, is also a heavy contributor to greenhouse gases.

The Guardian Unlimited cites a leaked UN report that yearly discharges of merchant vessels peaked at 1.12 billion tons of carbon dioxides or almost 4.5 percent of total global emissions. After cars, households, the agriculture sector and industries, the maritime industry ranks fifth as top polluter.

The aviation industry, under scrutiny particularly by the European Union, accounts only for 540 million tons of CO2 annually. The last known figure for maritime-caused pollution was 400 million tons of CO2, according to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

But a new draft report indicates the maritime sector's contribution went on full steam, way ahead of the aviation sector. Aside from the alarming growth of CO2 discharge by vessels, the report warns carbon dioxide emissions from ships will leap by 30 percent in 2020.

The largest private organization in the maritime industry, BIMCO, on its website, said it recommends the exploration of all methods to cut down on pollution in the maritime sector.